The Lord’s Supper, Communion, the Eucharist (literally meaning ‘give thanks’ in Greek), is an event which the Christian church has been continually doing for the last two thousand years. Our elders have learnt it from their elders, who learnt it from theirs…going all the way back to that moment in the upper room. It’s an important and reflective time as we remember and renew the covenant with the Lord and with each other.

Yet in so many churches it seems to be rushed or tagged on at the end of a service; or it is a source of contention as we argue about open/closed table, how it should be done and so on. The Roman Catholic church has gone to the extremes of transubstantiation, but many in the Evangelical world have gone the opposite way where we devalue the Lord’s Table until it is no longer a means of grace at all. This blog post aims to examine the wonder of the Lord’s Supper, understand why it has been neglected and how we can restore it.

The power of the Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is a powerful thing; it is a tradition and sacrament which has been passed down from the Lord Himself to us to remember Him by. Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 11:23 ‘For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you‘.  It is a moment when we renew and remember the covenant that we have with Christ, and is it not such a wonderful covenant? 

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:26-30

In this moment, we remember the life Christ lived, we remember why he came and we remember His death.  A death that we deserved, yet in His perfect obedience and perfect love, took our place. His body was broken for us.  Communion is a special moment, the highest point of the service, where we demonstrate Christian fellowship and unity. It’s a truth we should never get used to, in Communion we take time to remember such love!

We also reflect on the blood of the Lamb of God spilled on the cross. Pure, innocent and perfect blood that was shed for our sake. Through this blood we have been washed clean before the Father’s sight. That blood covers us, it intercedes for us in our prayer and in our singing. Without that blood we could never be saved, we could never approach our Father. The veil between us and YAHWEH would still remain!

Christ is present! No, I’m not arguing for transubstantiation; but when we gather, like any service, Christ is there with us!  I think there is a greater presence of the Lord in this sacrament. It is not just a memorial service, He is with us.  This then reflects on our unity! It is one cup, one bread, being torn for us. We are the body and Christ is the head; we are all one! Therefore, in this moment we remember our unity, our fellowship, our family and, above all, Christ. The table is not just an individual moment, rather I think that’s second to the fact we do it as a church! It should build unity and develop such strong bonds between one another. 

Why has the Lord’s Supper been neglected?

So if it is so wonderful, why has it been neglected? 

I find this is the case in many places, even though they may say and pray that they would not lose the wonder…

May I never lose the wonder
Oh, the wonder of Your mercy
May I sing Your hallelujah
Hallelujah, Amen

We have indeed lost the wonder.

Like many other church services, it is just a thing we Christians do! Much of this has happened because we have moved away from treating it as a special meal, to something we may do at the end of a morning service. But communion is a serious topic

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgement on themselves.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29

The fact is that Paul states rather bluntly that an abuse of the table only brings judgement upon individual believers and churches. We are in grave danger of angering God by treating this sacrament glibly, flippantly or as a waste of time and I’m not sure we have really heeded Paul’s warning…

A problem is the individualism that has often exhibited itself within the communion table. Firstly, the openness of it makes it about the individual conscience, but more importantly we forget that we are doing this as a body together. 

Maybe we are too busy to take time to reflect; the fact that many churches no longer have two services does suggest we are too busy to meet!  So where does the communion table fit into our busy lives!

But I think, above all else, this just reminds us of our lukewarmness.  Our hearts are so often not focussed on the cross, our love of Christ is so dim. Perhaps, if we truly walked close with God, we would treat the Communion table with reverence, awe, wonder and even enthusiasm!

How can we restore this meal?

I’m not in this article advocating for closed or open Communion; that is a matter for the local church to decide. Rather I do think our attitude needs to shift. Communion is a family meal of the church, and our attitudes to one another needs to shift. 

Why not try and host Communion during a mid-week meeting, when you all (or most of you) are gathered together. In that moment, reflect on those who are gathered with you, that you are sharing with them this one meal. 

Why not try and eat the same bread and drink the same cup? I know there will be some who will be against such a practice due to health concerns, but even the image of one cup being poured reminds us that we are sharing the blood of one King, and we drink together that one cup. Imagery is powerful and we should not neglect the images that have been given to us through the Lord himself.

If your church is big, then when not split the church into smaller groups and administer to one another the communion supper, ensuring each week or each time it is held that the groups are different. If your church is smaller, then why not sit in a circle? You can see everyone, there is a closeness in it, there is a family aspect to it. 

For the individual, it is important that you prepare yourselves properly beforehand, in prayer and worship, to open your heart to the Lord and come to Him in such a visible, intimate and precious way.

Just take your time!  There is no need to rush it. There is no need to run through the service, and it should never, ever, ever be an evangelistic event! It is for you and your church family! Spend time in reflection, spend time in prayer. Sing a hymn at the start and at the end. If it means you stay at church longer than normal, then that is fine. You are with your family. 

The Lord’s Supper: the most wonderful meal

The Lord’s Supper is an event which has divided believers throughout time. Some have held it in high regard, others have taken a rather low view of it. There are all kinds of thoughts of how it should be administered, and who should or should not be involved. Nonetheless, when we partake of this meal, we must look forward to when we will all partake of a celebratory meal in heaven. As Christ said, ‘I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom’ (Matthew 26:29). We eat and drink and partake in this meal, looking forwards ultimately to the full consummation and fulfilment of these things.

So, whatever your thoughts are on this, I do hope you may stop and have a think, and reflect on the truly wondrous nature of Communion.